Color Of Night
by stAnd out - SHOUT OUT
Summary: Zero/OC When a girl shows up a Camp Green Lake with a dark past, she becomes the silent 'Onyx' as the boys come to call her. What happens when her and Zero start to become too close friends? Following the movie, just adding an OC. Don't like, Don't read! I did this as a fun write, not to win a prize for most realistic. STOP COMMENTING ON LACK OF PROOF!
1. New Girl?

**Color Of Night**

**New.....Girl?**

"Yo look, the bus." Armpit yelled as he pointed over to where the large yellow bus was driving down the dirt road toward the camp. The other guys all stopped digging to look over as well. As always, there was only one person in the bus, but all they would see was a shadow of them in the window, not the actual person.

"Probably just another guy who stole something." ZigZag said as he went back to digging his hole. Zero finished first as always, finishing measuring his hole and climbing out of it. Leaning over it he spat into it as they all did when they had finished it. The guys were surprised when he finished so quickly, just as he did everyday, walking off toward the camp showers.

Zero lay on his cot when the rest of the guys all walked in, just showered and back from digging. They had only been sitting on their beds for more then a minute, talking, when Mr. Pendanski walked inside. There was someone behind him wearing a baggy pull over vest, their arms left bare, blankets and a pillow tucked under one with their hands on their pocket. The hood was pulled up and they could only see from their nose down. They were wearing baggy cargo pants as well, a one strap back pack over their shoulder. They only looked to be about as tall as Zero.

"Everyone, I would like you all to meet a new member to your tent, Christy Wood. She's the first girl to come to Camp Green Lake and I expect you to treat her fairly."

"That's a girl?" X-Ray asked as he looked at the girl again, but she didn't move or speak, not even look up.

"Yes, you'll be in the bed next to Zero." He said, speaking to her, as he motioned over to the empty bed next to Zero, she looked up enough to see out from under her hood, nodding. Mr. Padenski walked away, leaving her to stand in the doorway. She pulled her hands from the large pocket in the front of her vest, lifting her hands with long slender fingers, that were decorated with rings,to pull her hood back. Long brown hair fell from her hood, over her shoulders and along her back, to reach almost to her waist. She wore no makeup but her eyes were dark, her eyebrows thin, cheekbones high, dark eyes, almost black.

"Call me Chris." She said, walking toward her bed. The guys all gawked at her as she passed them, and Zero glanced over at the person who would be next to him. She pulled her backpack off and threw it on her bed, tossing the blankets and pillow down.

"Not for long. You'll get your nickname soon. Name's X-Ray, this is Armpit, ZigZag, Squid, over there's Caveman, Magnet and you know that that's Zero. One that left, he's mom." X-ray said as he pointed everyone out, and he could see when her lips pursed from Mr. Pedanski's nickname, trying not to laugh.

"So what'd a girl like you do to get stuck in this place?" Armpit asked, sitting on his cot, facing her.

"I nearly killed my step-dad with a knife when he tried to rape me." She said as her eyes, if possible, darkened further. The tent went quiet afer that, and Chris moved to start setting up her bed, placing her bag on the floor beside it. She walked off somewhere after a while, taking her bag with her, probably going to change into her jumpsuit, and the guys only then started to talk.

"Wouldn't her old man be in slam not her?" Armpit asked, laying on his side on his bed as he looked over at the others.

"Yea...." ZigZag said, looking over to the door where she had disappeared.

Chris changed in a free stall of the changing room, taking off her cargo pants and pulling on the jump suit. She had gotten odd looks from guys all over the camp as she made her way to the change rooms. She left the suit unzipped but still wore the sleeves, a white tank-top on underneath. The tattoo of an eagle with it's wings spead was on her right hip, she had gotten it when she was 15. That was a year ago. Putting on her boots, tying her hair up in a high pony-tail and putting all of her other clothes back inside her bag.

Stepping out of the changing rooms guys gawked at her even more now that she was no longer wearing baggy boy clothes, but instead a very tight white top see through enough to see the black sports bra on underneath it. Her bag hung over her shoulder as she walked back toward D-tent. Her boots kicked up dust as she avoided looking anyone in the eye, her feet barely dragging. When she stepped into D-tent everyone looked up at her and paused, staring direstly at her chest. She noticed that they too had changed, wearing cleaner clothes then before, their night suits.

"Dinner guys." Mom said as he walked past the tent, and Chris just dropped her bag beside her bed, before turning back around and leaving again, the guys still frozen. The mess hall shushed quietly when she walked in as they all watched her pick up a food tray and get in line. Her tent group came in a little while after her, all just staring at her and mumbling things to each other.

One of the guys from B tent walked over toward them from his table and stood beside Chris as her food was dropped onto her plate, and she forced herself not to make a face from it. The guys beside her stopped her from continuing to walk and she glared down at his hand, before looking back up at him again.

"So what you do to get here, huh girly?" He asked, stepping closer to her. Her body tensed, only a step before away before she started to tramble. She hadn't let a guy touch her in a while, since her father first started to harass her. The guys from her tent saw when her hands balled into fists at her sides, and Armpit moved forward to catch the guy in a headlock.

"I suggest you leave 'er alone, man, or you're going to be facing us." He said as the guy released Chris's arm and she walked off from the line, walking toward the empty table where the d-tent would always eat. Armpit released the guy, who ran off with a hand over his nose. The other guys laughed slightly at his reaction, finishing getting their own food.

Chris was jusp picking at her food at the table, leaning over so that her bangs were covering most of her face. They all sat around her, looking to one another. No one said anything for a while before X-Ray finally said his famous line, the same one he had used when Caveman had fisrt come to the camp.

"Hey, since you didn't dig today, you wouldn't mind giving up your-" Chris held out her tray, still looking at the table, over to X-Ray. He took the bread off her plate with a shocked look on his face and Chris brought her plate back to the table in front of her as she picked her fork back up and started to play with it again. They guys all exchanged looks, but Zero, who was sitting across from Chris, just watched her face, even though he couldn't see much of it.

Without another word she got to her feet, only taking a few bites of her food, and threw out the rest of her food, leaving toward the tents again.

"Man, did you see the look she gave him. Seriously, if looks could kill." Magnet said as he leaned toward the guys, lowering his voice.

"I know, but something tells me that alot of the guys 'round here are going to be on her back for a couple months." Caveman said as he peeled his bread, eating it slowly.

"I wonder what she would have done if she had a knife near her now." Armpit mumbled as he took another bite of his odd slop like food.

Zero finished while the others were all still talking and walked away from the table without them even paying attention to him. He got rid of his dishes and left to d-tent. When he got there Chris was lying on her stomach, her sweat-vest covering her head. Her arms were folded under her pillow.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked as he walked toward his own cot. She looked up and him and her vest fell onto her shoulders. Her eyes looked tired and her hair was all messed from her vest on her head.

"Been better." She mumbled, dropping her head back to her pillow, freeing one of her arms so that she could pull her vest over her head again. Zero sighed as he moved back over to her and pulled the vest away from her. Her head lifted again and she looked over to him in surprise.

"The guys'll deal with the people who mess with you, at least when they can." He assured and she nodded numbly. The sounds of the others coming made Zero toss her vest back to her and lay down on his bed quickly, making it seem like nothing. Chris threw the vest to cover her head as the guys walked in, seeing the two seemingly just lying there.


	2. Dig 'Em Up

**Color Of Night **

**Dig 'Em Up**

Whisles and horns went off and Chris groaned as she covered her head with her pillow, just wanting to go back to sleep. Zero watched as X-Ray walked over and pulled the blankets off of her and and looked up at him.

"Come on, time for your first day." he said, dropping the blankets back on the end of her bed. She got up reluctantly and hung her feet over the side of the bed as she rubbed her face in her hands, trying to wake up. As she was pulling her shoes on Zero came up to her and whispered.

"You'll be glad to wake up so early after a day in the blazing sun." Walking out with the others Chris followed, looking away when the others were changing into their day clothes. She could use the ones she had slept in last night because both of her outfits were still clean, but not after today.

"Smiling faces! Smiling faces!" Mom yelled as he walked around the others, holding what could only be coffee. "The earliest mole digs the deepest hole!" He yelled over the people and Chris looked over toward him in disbelief, was he joking?

After she had picked out her shovel, X-Ray walked over to her and when he tried to pull the shovel out of her grasp, but she was holding onto it with such a death grip that he was surprise. She turned to look at him with her black eyes and glared, before releasing it and just taking the one that he had. She didn't need to get into something with her own tent member. Grabbing some breakfast, she made sure to listen to what to do next.

Chris balanced her shovel across her shoulder, draping her hands over it and walking, not wanting to have to drag it. Every tent was directed into a different spot, far from the camp and past other holes already dug. Mr. Sir shower her were to dig, explaining her about if she found anything interesting and to bring it to him or mom. And that if it was good, then she might get the day off.

Starting to dig her hole, she was sirprised at how the dirt just fell apart under her shovel, she had expected rock hard dirt that would take alot of force, but it was so dry it was easy. Digging quickly, she made sure to keep her eyes open for anything 'interesting'. Dust blew through the air, and her clothes were covered in dirt and so messy after only an hour of working. The sun beat down on her and Chris stopped a moment to take a deep drink of her water.

She looked around at the other holes to see that she had actually dug more then they had. Her step-father had made her do so many things that she wasn't surprised she was faster then them. She was more fit then one would think, after all the work her father made her do. She lived on a farm with her mother, step father, and baby sister, that was only half related with blood. Her birth father had died in a car accident when she was 11. Her mother had married her step-father, who beat her and her mother, but he treated her baby sister like she was a princess. It was Chris's job to do everything, her mother worked for money, and she made sure to keep the whole farm in shape. She was up from sun rise to sun down. But she never got used to it.

"I've been thinking about your nickname, Chris." Magnet said as he stopped digging to rest a moment, leaning against his shovel. The others looked over to him but Chris just kept digging, so did Zero.

"What're you thinking, Magnet?" Squid asked, as he too leaned against his shovel, trying to catch his breath.

"Well, I mean, it's her eyes that gave me this idea. After you glared at the guy yesterday, I was thinking, why don't we call you Onyx?" He asked, and Armpit nodded his head, thinking slightly.

"Sounds good, and that does suit her. Welcome to Camp Green Lake Onyx!" He yelled, and Onyx jsut waved her hand over her head to show she had heard. The guys got back to work, knowing that she wasn't going to be talking to them. She seemed to try to avoid guys at all times, but one couldn't blame her with what happened with her step-father. When it came time to fill their cantenes and get lunch, Onyx just got more water, before getting abck to work. She didn't eat that much, never had. At least not in years.

Going back to her hole the guys walked over to see how the new girl was doing and had to do a double take when they saw she had barely a boot left, it was already wide enough, not she just had to finish digging how deep it would be. Eating their lunch in silence, they all sat and watched as Zero and Onyx were the only ones to continue to work.

"I think they're made for each other." Squid mumbled to Armpit, who laughed as he opened his cantene. Not even an hour after lunch she was making the final measurements to her hole. Seeing that she was done, she threw her shovel out and pulled herself up. Sitting on the edge, she let her feet dangle as she looked down at her hands. They were blistered and bleeding, also covered in dirt. Picking up her cantene she poured some of the water over one hand, then the other. It stung like hell, but would help in the long run.

"You finished too?" Zero asked, standing behind her to her right. She glanced over her shoulder and nodded. Getting back up, she picked up her shovel and closed her cantene.

"You?" She asked, looking over at Zero. He nodded and turned to leave, Onyx following behind. The guys looked into her hole and called back to her. Armpit motioned her back and she complied, grudgingly.

"Now, I don't know how in the hell you did that, but there's one more thing you got to do when you finish. You have to spit in your hole, every day." He said and Onyx gave him an odd look. It's a good thing her mouth wasn't dry. Gathering spit, she leaned over and spat into her hole. Armpit nodded in approval as she turned to leave.

"And I thought this camp was supposed to fix me!" She yelled over her shoulder and the guys laughed, even Zero smiked from where he was still walking away.

When they got back to the camp there was no one else there, and Onyx headed straight for the showers. Wearing a pare of short shorts and a sports bra she washed all the dirt off her body, making sure it was all out of her hair. She changed from her wet sports bra into a new dry one and pulled a white wife-beater on as well. With the blazing sun she just wrapped the top of the clean jumpsuit around her waist. When she jumped out from the showers and began to walk back toward her tent, there were alot more people there.

One guy had his hair slicked back, and he spotted her as she was walking toward her tent. Running over to her he was able to cut in front of her before she got inside and leaned forward, getting closer to her face. Onyx glared, her black like eyes narrowing.

"Well well, where are all of your body guards?" He asked, looking around in mock wonder.

"I don't have any, never will." She replied, her voice thick and tight.

"Good, then I won't have to worry about any fights with you." He said, reaching to grab her arm so he could drag her back to his tent. When she went to run away he spun her around, holding her so that her back was to his chest. "Where you think you're going?" He whispered in her ear.

"I really, don't like being near guys. And I really, really don't like being touched." She groweled out as he brought her heel onto his foot, and her elbow into his gut. He bent over in pain as she ran away from him, into the tent where Zero was lying on his cot looking at her in question.

"What was that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing, but something tells me there'll be more." She said, walking over to place her things on her bed again. Lying down she looked over at Zero, who was looking back at her. "So what's your real name?" She asked suddenly, and Zero looked slightly surprised, before he spoke.

"You actually want to know?" He asked back, and at her nod he smiled slightly. "Hector Zeroni." He told her and she held her hand out to him.

"Nice to meet you." Hector laughed quietly as he took her hand and shook it, before leaning back on his cot again, still smiling.

"We have this group meeting thing every week, kind of like a little sharing circle. Pointless, but we have to go once everyone's back." Zero explained and Onyx raised an eyebrow.

"Reminds me of anger managment." She mumbled, picking up her pillow and folding it so that it was higher then before and she could lay down while still looking over at him. "Sounds weird."

"Yea, it is, he just makes us talk about why were came here and all that." Zero explained quietly, closing his eyes as he laid his head back to rest.

"I ain't sayin' nothing." She said as her smile disappeared and Zero opened his eyes to look over at her again, understnading. She hadn't told them everything, but what she said the day before was sure to make everyone understand that she did NOT want to talk about anything.

'If only we had a choice.' Zero thought as he watched her close her eyes and just lay there, a frown across her lips and her arms folded over her chest. "How'd you dig your hole so fast?" He asked, doing his best to change the subgect.

"I used to live on a farm, and had to do alot of chorse. You're be surprised at how heavy hay really is." She said as she smirked, looking over to him. Zero gave her a questioning look. "I had to move the hay from the truck to the barn, and then to the stables for the horses. I also used to help my dad built things before he died." She said, and her smirk faded away.

"When'd you loose your dad?"

"I was eleven, he died in a car accident. My mom re-married a year later, to a drunk." She mumbled, then turned on her side so that her back was to him. Zero sighed, watching her closely.

* * *

**This is my first Holes fanfic, so please, be nice. I do NOT like constructive critisism. so don't flame me. But reviews are welcome!**


	3. First Lesson

**Color Of Night **

**First Lesson**

When the rest of the guys got back Squid was almost drooling when he saw that Onyx was wearing another see-through white shirt, it had lifted and was showing her stomach now. She had fallen asleep on her cot and was just lying with her pillow covering her head to block out the sun.

"Come on, Onyx, time to get up." Caveman said as he tapped her leg, trying to wake the girl. She stirred, but didn't wake up. They had to leave for that discussion group thing that Zero had been telling her about, and she didn't want to leave. Zero got up from his cot and pulled the pillow away from her head. She looked up at him for a few moments, before pulling herself up and sighing.

"So, you got yourself a nickname now, huh? Onyx?" Mom asked as he looked at Onyx, who had her head down and was leaning back in her chair, her eyes closed. She almost looked like she was sleeping. "You like to do anything?"

"Man, she only talks to Zero." Armpit said, and they all looked over to said teen. Onyx cracked an eye open and glanced at him as well. Zero nodded to her and she sighed, opening both eyes and looking over to mom, who was watching her.

"I use to sing."

"Used to?" Mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My new step-dad would beat me when he heard me singing, he doesn't like music." An awkward silence fell over everyone once she had finished. Mom cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Look, your step father didn't beat you. I know that's what you want everyone to believe, but the police said you were bruise free." He said, and everyone looked over to Onyx when she laughed without humor.

"I never let them. I told them they would rot in hell before I let them touch me." She sneered and he sighed, giving up on her. After that, the guys were all staring at her, silently searching her body for any scars and or bruises. She ignored the looks and leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed once again.

"Hey Onyx, turn around so we can change girl." Armpit said and Onyx rolled her eyes as the rolled over so that she was instead facing Zero, who was already changed and lying on his side, looking over to her as well. "Things gunna be weird with a girl 'round here."

"Well, something tells me you're gunna have to deal with it." Magnet said and Armpit punched him in the arm. ZigZag jumped onto Onyx's bed, making her jump in surprise. He was shirtless and lying on his side, facing her.

"So, getting used to camp yet?" He asked, smiling slightly. She just raised an eyebrow, before pushing him off the bed, making him land on his back with a loud thud. The guys all laughed and Zero smiled.

Lying on her back again, she made sure to keep her eyes closed incase any of the guys were still changing. From the sound of someone rushing to get changed, she knew that it was a good thing she hadn't looked. From the sounds of things, it was Caveman that had taken too long. Again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A while passed and Zero and Onyx would get closer to one another, not really speaking to the other guys but just hanging out with one another. They would use the time when the other guys had all been still digging, with the two of them being the fastest diggers, and just talk and hang out, being able to be more like themselves. One day Caveman had found a tube of some sort, it looked almost like a bullet. They passed it around the group and when Onyx got it she spoke up.

"This isn't a bullet." She said, and everyone turned to look at her. "This is a tube of lipstick." She said, turning it around in her hands, before tossing it back over to Caveman, but X-Ray caught it before it reached him.

"Well, I'm gunna go turn this into the warden and get the rest of the day." He said, turning to walk over toward where Mr. Sir and Mom.

"Hey wait, your hole's already done! I've just barely started, I'm gunna be here all day." Caveman protested and Onyx watched as X-Ray stopped and turned around to face him again.

"So, what exactly are you saying?" Caveman seemed to re-think what he was about to say, and instead changed his thoughts.

"I mean, why not give it to them tomorrow instead, that was you get the whole day off." Sighing, Onyx went back to her hole. Of course he would chicken out against X-Ray. Finishing her hole, her and Zero began to walk back together as they had done for the past little while.

"If you could do anything at the camp, what would it be?" Zero asked one day, walking toward where the showers were. Onyx cocked her head to the side in thought, pursing her lips.

"I would like to be able to draw. I always used to love sketching things, mostly animals." She smiled, remembering something that Zero didn't know of. "What about you, Zero, what would you like to do?" She asked, looking over toward him as they reached the showers.

"I would learn to read. And write." He admitted and she looked at him in surprise.

"I didn't know you couldn't read." She said, giving him an odd look.

"Well, my mom never had the money for it, so I never went to school when I was younger." Zero explained as he walked over to one of the shower taps. Onyx looked down at her dusty boots, untying the laces. Zero looked over at her and paused for a moment in undoing the top of his jump suit. "Could you teach me?" Onyx looked over to him in surprise.

"To read?"

"Yea." Onyx looked out into space for a moment as though trying to things of what she could do. Looking back over to him she smiled against the sun.

"Sure, I could do that. I ain't got nothing else to do." She said. Zero smiled back to her and Onyx walked over to him and they bumped fists, before continuing to get ready to shower. Wearing nothing but his shorts, and Onyx in shorts and a black tank, they tried to get the dirt from the day off of them, chatting aimlessly as they stood under the spray of cold water.

When they got back to the tent, Onyx went to her bag and pulled out a book that Zero hadn't seen before. When she sat down on his cot beside him she flipped it open to show that it had blank paper in it that she had been drawing anf writing on. There were pictures of places he'd never seen, and places that were from the camp. When Zero saw something that caught his eyes he stopped her.

"Wait, what was that?" He asked as he turned back to the previous page.

"Oh, I had had some trouble falling asleep one night and I just sort of, drew." It was a picture of Zero in his sleep, his hair slightly bushed and lying on the pillow, his face peaceful as he slept.

"It's good. It's really good." He complemented as he looked at the picture of himself. She had never told him that she could draw before today, and he had to admit, she was good. She was really good. The pencil that she had been drawing with was dull at some places and sharp at others to get a more defined look.

"Thanks. I'll teach you to do that later, right now, let's get to your first lesson." She said, turning to an empty page. She took out a pencil and wrote out 'ZERO' on the page. She held the pencil out to him and he took it, holding it carefully as he copied how she had written the letters. As he was writing the R he had made the hoop to big to make it look like a D and stopped him. "Here, you have to make sure when you're writing the R that you only go half way down the straight line, or you'll get a D." She explained as the took the pencil and erased it so that she could show him how to only go half way, then gave it back to him to let him finish writing the tail on the R, then an O.

"That right?"

"Perfect."


	4. Peaches?

**Color Of Night **

**Peaches?**

The day was hotter then normal as Onyx leaned against the side of her hole, sighing as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. Undoing the top of her jump suit she tied it around her waist, leaving her in her white tank top. The sound of the truck approaching caught her attention and she pulled herself up to look at where Mr. Sir drove the water truck toward the holes. For a moment she wondered how he could drive that out here without falling into one of the holes.

Pulling herself from her hole she picked up her water cantene and walked over toward where the others all were as well. Mom walked around and took X-Ray's cantene first, filling it with water. After everyone's cantene was full Onyx walked back over to the side of the truck and took an apple from the basket, turning to walk back to her hole. Her shoulder bumped ZigZag's and he dropped the crackers that he was holding. Glaring darkly at her Onyx ducked just in time to dodge the slap directed to her left cheek. But that didn't stop him.

"Watch where you're going bitch!" He yelled, coming at her again and violently slapping her right cheek. Onyx fell to the side in surprise. Looking up at ZigZag in shock, mom ran over and watched as her shock turned into anger. Lifting her leg, from where she was, she brought it forward and kicked him in the gut, hard. ZigZag grunted and struggled to stay on his feet. She lifted her foot to kick him when he leant forward, striking him in the jaw. ZigZag glared and charged at her when she got to her feet, grabbing her around the throat.

Onyx's mind flashed back to when her step-father had tried to rape her and struggled against him. Zero ran up at ZigZag from behind and jumped on his back. putting him in a head lock and cutting off his air suply like he was doing to Onyx. He released Onyx to try and get Zero off of him and she fell to the ground, coughing. Zero and ZigZag also fell to the ground and Armpit tried to pull Zero off of him. After ZigZag was freed Zero walked away from him and stood next to Onyx, who sat on the ground, holding her throat.

"That's enough!" Mom yelled, walking over to there everyone was. Everyone now stood in front of the warden, their heads down as she walked past each of them with a stern look, a very displeased look.

"Anyone want to tell me what's going on here?"

"Things just got out of hand, I mean, staying out here in the hot sun, just kind of makes everyone's blood boil." Armpit explained as the warden looked at him. "So Zig and Onyx were going at it, and the Zero started to choke ZigZag, I had to pull him off."

"Is that what happened ZigZag?" She asked as she walked over to where the blond stood.

"Yes ma'am." He said, then she turned to where Onyx was standing.

"And what about you, why would he get so angry like that?" She didn't say anything in return and mom sighed.

"She don't talk to no one. Always quiet. The only person we've seen her talk to is Zero." he said and the warden glanced back at him a moment, before tuning to once more face Onyx.

"And could you tell me why you've been spending so much time with Zero?" When Onyx still said nothing, the warden got angry. "I asked you a question." She glared down at the younger female, who just glared back.

"She's teaching him how to read." Caveman said, and the warden turned her eyes to him for a brief moment, then looked down at the girl who was still glaring.

"Oh really, well not anymore. I don't need any fights in this place-"

"What does me teaching him how to read have to do with the fight!" She shouted and everyone stepped back in surprise. She had never even so much as said a full sentence in their presence, and they had definatly never heard her yell.

"What's the point in teaching him. There's nothing going on in that tiny little head of his, you'll never be able to teach him anything!" Mom said, standing behind Zero. Zero turned to stare at him, and mom turned and took a shovel from ZigZag, before turning to look at Zero again. "I mean, you might as well teach this shovel to read."Tossing the shovel at Zero, he smirked. "Come on Zero, D I G, what's that spell?" He asked, speaking like he would to a five year old. Looking down at the shovel for a moment, Zero thought for a split second, before swinging forward and cracking mom across the face. The man fall and Zero knelt at his side.

"Dig."

Onyx was openly gawking as Zero spun around and grabbed her arm, pulling her as they both started to run off, weaving past all of the holes. Zero was holding the shovel as they ran, not dropping it after he had hit mom. The sun was beating down on Onyx's expossed skin, her suit still tied around her waist, and her water cantene around her shoulders. The group all called after them, cheering them on as they ran off into the distance.

Dust kicking up at they ran they could hear Caveman yelling after them to go, and kept glancing back to see if anyone was following them. After they thought that they were far enough away Onyx grabbed Zero's arm to stop him and they fell to the ground, both breathing heavily and thirsty. Onyx pulled her cantene off from her shoulders and opened it, taking only the water she needed.

"Here."

"Thanks." Zero said as he took the water, making sure that he took didn't drink to much of it, after all, that was the only water they had. Getting back to her feet, Onyx looked around them, scanning the land. A few yards away there were a couple spotted lizards that made her cringe, looking over to the area ahead of them. "We should keep going until it gets dark." Zero said as he got to his feet, the cantene around his shoulders now. Onyx pulled the top of her suit on so the didn't get burned and fixed the cap that she had on, blocking the sun from her eyes.

"Where are we gunna go, there's nothing out here." She said, walking off after Zero.

Night came faster then either had thought, and they just settled on the ground as far from any lizard nests they saw. It was colder at night, but it was a good break from the hot sun. They had drinken almost half of the water they had brought, and would be running out soon. Lying with her arms behind her head, Onyx looked up at the stars, fatigue slowly taking her over. Zero was curled up at her side, his back to her. She knew that he was still awake.

"What do we do now?" She asked, not expecting a reply.

"We keep going I guess." Zero said as he looked over at her, rolling onto his back and propping himself up on his elbows. She could barely see his outline in the dark. "Come on, let's go to sleep." He said, lying back down, this time closer to her, and she could feel his body heat now.

"Onyx."

"Onyx!"

"ONYX!"

She sat bolt upright at the sound of her name being screamed into her ear, only for her forhead to crack against Zero's, who had been leaning over her while he was trying to wake her up. She groaned as her head hit the ground again, Zero rubbing his own forehead. "Ow." She mumbled, before sitting up again. It was barely sunrise, the sun rise only starting.

"We should get moving before the sun gets to high." Zero said as he looked at his hand to make sure there was no blood.

"You're right. Sorry bought that, you have a hard head." She said, getting to her feet, grabbing the cantene.

"I could say the same for you, that hurt." He countered as they started to walk again. Onyx laughed as she ruffled his hair, making him swat her hand away and continue walking. "You ever heard the story about the guy who had gotten standed out here, without any food or water?" Zero asked after a couple of minutes and she looked over at him, shaking her head.

"No, never."

"Well, they say, he took refuge on gods thumb. They don't know how, but he had survived weeks without any food or water. But he was half crazy when they found him, so no one believed him when he told them that." Zero explained and Onyx nodded, stopping to take a drink from the cantene, that was only a quarter full then. She held it out to Zero and he took it from her hands.

"Think we'll find gods thumb, survive out here?" She asked, slinging the shovel over her shoulders.

"I hope."

They continued on, switching from one carrying the cantent and the other carrying the shovel, to the other way around. When it bgean to near past noon, they had no water left. Onyx stumbled on her feet and fell to her knees, then forward onto her hands, the shovel falling to her side. Zero stood in front of her, his own breathing heavy and tired. Leaning at her side, he grasped her arm and picks up the shovel, trying to get Onyx back on her feet.

Lifted herself up, with Zero's help, they both stumbled on. No longer did they have any water, and they had no food, but they were stuck out in the middle of nowhere, left in the blazing sun with no possible shade to take refuge in.

"What's that?" Zero asked. Onyx's arm was drapped over his shoulder, leaning slightly on him for support. She looked over to see where he was looking. There was something coming from the ground, almost like a sand mound. They walked over to it and Onyx tapped her foot against it. Wood.

"It looked like a flipped boat." She said, dusting some of the sand off of it.

"I got an idea." Zero fell to his knees and began to use the shovel and dig the dirt away so that there was a tunnel leading to under the boat. It was big enough for one of the taller guys from camp to slip under and Zero continued to dig out the inside, making more room. It was cooler int he shade, no way for the heat to get in. "Hey, I think I found something." He said, pulling his body out from under the boat and showing Onyx a jar. "I can't get it open."

Taking it from him, she held it tightly, before bringing the top cap down hard on the edge of the boat, breaking the old glass. Holding it under her nose she sniffed lightly, almost haivng to do a double take when the sweet aroma of peaches wafted into her nose.

"Peahes," She said, holding it out to him. Zero raised an eyebrow, before taking it from her and sniffing it. "Who's gunna be the one to test it?"

"I'll do it."

Night came again and the two slipped under the boat, making sure there were no lizards there. There were a couple of jars of the peach...juice, stuff. But it wasn't going to last very long. Onyx was lying across the length of the boat, while Zero let his feet hang out from the boat slightly, his head resting beside her stomach. Onyx lifted her head when Zero had once again tried to shift the possision of his neck.

"You okay?" She asked, and could barely see him look up at her.

"Yea." He said, but she saw when he lifted a hand to roll his neck. Lifting herself up Onyx pulled her white shirt off and over her head, before folding it into a makeshift pillow, leaving her to wear only the black sports top on underneath it.

"Here, use this. It'll held your neck." Zero looked over to her and took the shirt from her hands, moving to lay his head on it, making it more comfortable then it had been before.

"You said you could sing, right?"

"Yea."

"Can you sing something now?" Onyx sighed, trying to think of a song. She could only come up with one, that she loved to sing whenever she was alone, and had to chance. But that wasn't often with her step-father.

"Sure. I could sing a couple lines....

When the sun has gone I see you,  
Beautiful and hunting but cold.  
Like the blade of a knife,  
So sharp and so sweet.  
Nobody knows your heart...."

Her voice drifted off and Zero could tell that she had sung herself to sleep, and he quickly followed.


	5. Heights

**Color Of Night **

**Heights**

Caveman just kept walking for a while, looking around for any sign of Zero. He had gotten so close to taking that truck, if only he hadn't driven it into a hole. Walking past a bush, he picked up the sunflower seed sack that had been taken from Mr. Sir's car. Looking forward again, he could see something in the distance, almost like a dirt mount. Taking off toward it he noticed as he got closer that it was made of wood, and someone ad dug it out. Then he could see Zero's feet hanging out from under it.

"Zero?" He asked, leaning forward to try and get a better look underneath. "Zero?" Louder this time, he watched Zero's feet. Finally moving, Zero's feet pulled into the boat, before he turned around and stuck his head out, looking up at Caveman.

"Stanley." Zero said and said teen ran up to Zero.

"What's up man!?" He pulled the younger into a hug. "How you doing?"

"Alright" Zero choked out from the bone crushing hug.

"Hey, wait, where's Onyx?" He asked, looking down at Zero.

"Someone say my name?" A female voice asked, seconds before Onyx's head poked out from the boat, looking up at them, glaring against the sun. "Good to see you, Cavedude, I didn't know your real name was Stanley." She said, they moved aside so that she could climb out, and Caveman had to hold his breath when he saw that her suit was wrapped aorund her waist and her upper body was showing, only wearing a stained white top.

"Got any water?" Zero asked, motioning to Caveman's cantene.

"No, I'm out." He said, shaking it to show there was no water inside.

"What's in the bag?" Onyx asked, looking at the sunflower seed sack that he was holding.

"Oh, nothing, it's empty, I just found on my way out here." He said, fingering that sack and Onyx fell back against the opposide sand pile as him and Zero. "Guys, we have to go back." His sudden words made both others look to him.

"We're not going back." Zero said, looking firmly at Caveman. He just shook his head and looked away, not fight what Zero said. "Want some sploosh?" Zero's question made Caveman looked back over at him.

"Some what?"

"Sploosh, come on, it's good." Onyx said as she slipped back under the boat. Zero followed her and Caveman stuck his head in to look around at the space inside. It was l;arger then he had thought. Onyx moved over toward the far side and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes, just resting. "Zero found it when he had first dug out all this." Onyx said as she got comfortable.

"Here." Zero cracked open another jar of the peach stuff and handed it to Caveman.

"What is this?"

"Sploosh, that's what I call it, drink it, it's really good!" He said, licking at the lid, that was also covered in peach juice. "Onyx." Onyx opened her eyes in time to see him throwing the lid over to her, and she was careful to catch it without cutting her hands on the glass. Caveman carefully took a small sip of the strange contents in the jar.

"This is actually real good, like peaches." He said. "How many of these you got left?" He asked, placing the jaw down, making sure it didn't spill.

"That's the last one." Onyx said as she pointed over to the jaw he ahd put down. Caveman looked at her for a moment, before he spoke to both of them.

"We got to go back to camp, ok? So we'll just wrap it up, put this in the bag, then we'll go."

"We're not, going back." Onyx said, looking closely at Caveman. Zero nodded in agreement and Caveman sighed.

"You will die out here." He said, looking closely at Zero, "Both of you." Looking back at Onyx. "Here's what we'll do, we can go back to camp, and tell the warden exactly where I found that lipstick tube, then she'll be so happy, we won't get in any trouble." He said, smiling. "Okay?"

"Who's Mary Lou?" Zero asked, and he and Onyx shared a strange look.

"What?"

"One the side of the boat, it says Mary Lou on it, like a name." She explained.

"This is the most I think I have ever heard you talk." Caveman said as Zero began to climb out.

"You should hear her sing!" Zero called back as Onyx slipped out after him.

"Wait, you sung to him?" Caveman asked, following the other two. Onyx was sitting on top of a dirt pile to the side while Zero was sitting right in front of him.

"Look, there." Zero pointed to the name that was carved into the side of the boat and Caveman looked at it for a moment, thinking.

"Yea, it's the name of the...boat." He stopped suddenly while looking off in the distance at the mountains. "Hey, you guys see that mountain right there?" He asked pointing off. Onyx moved closer to them to see what he was seeing. "What does that look like to you?" He asked, and Zero held up his thumb as though he was about to hitchhike.

The three took off once more, walking toward the mountain that looked like a thumb. Onyx had put her suit back on and was carrying the shovel, using it almost like a walking stick. The dirt kicked up as they walked and they glared against the sun, it being to bright and hard to see. Zero and Onyx ofter traded who held the shovel as they had done before, just out of habit.

"You know, my great great grandfather almost died out here." Caveman said and they others looked over at him.

"Really?" Zero asked, now carrying the shovel.

"Yea, but they say he survived, cause he made it on top of gods thumb."

"Yea, I heard about this gods thumb thing." Zero said, looking up at the mountainst again, before covering his eyes from the suns light. The small group made it to the cliff side and looked up, examining the wall of rock.

"You guys ready for this?"

"That's a long way up." Onyx mumbled as she stared at the mountain.

"We better get up there before dark." Caveman said, looking at the other two with him. They nodded as all three turned back to the journey ahead of them. They got started, each going up one at a time, carrying a shovel, two water cantene's, and an empty sack. It was hard for the one carrying the shovel, but they were able to get started pretty good.

"What do you think's up there?" Onyx said as she pulled herself up onto another ledge.

"I don't know, hopefully a great big frosty freezy." Stanley said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Good, I could use a hotfudge sunday." Zero replied, and Onyx threw in her oppinion.

"I want a bed, water and a change of clothes. Then I'm set." She called and the other guys laughed. She smiled, glad to help make things less....tense.

They continued climbing, getting higher and higher on the ledges. They each took tunrs lifting the shovel up to the next ledge, all trying their best not to fall down the millions of feet below them. Onyx sat a moment to rest, but only a moment when Stanley pulled her back to her feet. It was only getting later, and they had to get somewhere safe before dark. They were actually making really good time, and were getting pretty close to the top when something happened. Zero and Onyx were up higher when Stanley missed the rock that they had used to get up and fell to the side, almost falling down to the ground below.

"Hey man, watch out." Onyx yelled from where she was behind Zero. Grabbing the shovel, Zero took one side of the blade, while Onyx took the other, and together they helped to pull Stanely, who was holding onto the handle, up to their level. They both pulled hard, the metal digging into the palms of their hands. Stanley was finally able to pull himself up from the cliff.

"Whoa!" Stanley cheered happily when he was back on flat ground, looking down at where he almost fell. Zero and Onyx pulled the shovel back behind them and looked at one another in pain. "Whoa, look at that."

"Look at this man, this ain't cool." Zero said, and Stanely looked over to see their hands both slices open and covered in blood. Ripping a piece of cloth from his hat, Stanley started to wrap up their hands.

"Ow! Son of a-"


	6. One More Hole

**Color Of Night **

**One More Hole**

"What does R O C K spell?" Onyx called up to Zero, who was climbing ahead of her.

"R-rock?"

"Yea that's it, great." She said, pulling herself up further. Zero stopped when he started to cough heavily, dropping the shovel. His coughing stopped as he threw up the contents of what was left in his stomach. "Zero!" She yelled when he fell to the side, about to roll down the cliff side. Running after him, as well as Stanley, they were able to stop him before he went to far. Onyx got in front of Zero so I wouldn't roll anymore and carefully picked his hair out a bush it had gotten caught on.

"Here, come on." Stanley turned him so that he was lying in a possision that would let him rest without falling. The other two both sat down as well. Onyx stayed besire Zero so that he would surely not in danger.

"You okay?" Onyx asked, placing a hand on his forehead and against his cheeks to feel his temurature. "You don't seem to be burning up."

"I'm good." He said, just resting his head back against the rocks. "Stanley, there something I need to tell you.

"What?" Stanley asked, looking over at Zero. Zero's head rolled to the side and Onyx shook him, trying to keep him awake.

"Hector, you got to stay awake." She said, but he just laid there, not responding.

"We have to keep moving, we can't stay here. Let's go." Stanley said as he moved over to Zero and lifted him off the ground.

"You sure you can carry him?" Onyx asked, running ahead to get the shovel. Stanley was able to keep him on his back as they climbed up the rocks, Onyx continuesly looking ack at them, carrying the shovel so that it was easier on Stanley. It became slightly easier when they weren't climbing straight up, but instead had to just walk up steep hills.

"Man it's getting dark, we almost there?" Onyx asked, swatting at some bugs on her neck. "Damn bugs, where the hell did they come from?"

"Bugs? Where there's bugs there's..." Trailing off Stanley stopped to look in front of them, seeing the water that was pooling around the grass.

"Water..." Onyx mumbled, letting the shovel fall to the ground at her side. Running forward toward the water, Stanley followed with Zero still on his back. Resting him on a roch Stanley cheered happily as he dove toward the water, while Onyx ran to Zero. "Hector, Hector, come on, wake up." She said as he shook him lightly, trying to wake him. Kneeling by the water she took in a palm full, shaping her hands like a bowl, then throwing the water at him, splashing his face. "Hector, wake up!" Stanley was rolling around in the water, while Onyx grabbed Hector's hand and pulled him down into the water as well.

"We made it!" Hector yelled happily, throwing water at Onyx, who laughed as as she splashed back. Falling into the water she just laid their for a minute, not caring that she was getting muddy and wet. Stanley pulled on the grass, ripping out an onion or something from the ground. "Mad, what's that?"

"It's a hot fudge sunday. Try it." He said he pulled another one out and gave it to Hector. Taking a bite of it, he was surprised at how sweet it really was. Running over to fall into the water next to Onyx he held it out to her and she looked at him like he was mad.

"It's really good, just try it." he said, giving it to her. She looked at him one more time before taking a deep bite from it. "

"Whoa, sweetest onion I ever ate." She said, taking another bite from it and trying to roll away from Hector. "It's mine now." She said when he tried to get it back.

"Hey, no you don't!" Jumping on her back before she could roll away more he tried to take the onion back from her, and in the end they ended up face to face, the onion in Onyx's teeth as she tried to stop him from taking it. They could hear Stanley singing something slightly under his breath, and Hector rolled off of her, lying on his back beside her.

"Hey Chris, sing us a song." Stanley said as he sat up in the water, taking another bite of his onion.

"Hey, sing that one you sung to me after we had found the boat." Hector said, looking over to her. Chris took a deep breath as she remembered the lines to the song, closing her eyes as she laid back.

"In the moonlight I felt your heart,  
Quiver like a bow strings pulse.  
In the moons mere light,  
You looked at me, Nobody knows your heart.

When the sun has gone I see you,  
Beautiful and hunting but cold.  
Like the blade of a knife,  
So sharp and so sweet, Nobody knows your heart.

All of your sorrow, grief and pain,  
Locked away in the forest of the night.  
Your sacred heart, belongs to the word Of the things that sigh in the dark Or the things that cry in the dark."

Both of the guys just watched her as she sang, and when the words to the song ended she started to hum along to the tune that they had never heard. Hector could see when a tear fell from the corner of her eye when she was humming. Her mother had taught her that song after her dad had died, and she said she would sing it to herself whenever she was upset about her father cause it helped make her feel better.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Up! Time to get up!" Chris yelled as she landed on top of Hector. He groaned slightly from the sudden added weight, waking up. Stanley walked over, laughed softly, and sat down beside the two. Chris rolled off of him and leaned against the rocks behind her.

"How long have I been sleeping?" Hector asked, sitting up as well, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Long time." Stanley dropped another onion in the pile that they had eaten, basically a compost pile.

"Stanley, there's something I got to tell you." Hector said, and Chris remembered right before he had passed out that he was going to tell him something.

"Sure, what's up?"

"It's my fault you were sent to camp green lake, I stole the shoes." Hector said, looking at the ground. Chris desiced to stay out of this and just kept quiet where she was. Hecrot went on explained on how he got the shoes, to how he had stolen them and run away with them. Finished off at how he had thrown them away to land on top of Stanley.

"It's destiny." Stanley said as he laughed, and Chris raised an eyebrow. Hector seemed pretty bumbed about it, so she decided to try and help out a bit, lighten the mood from the tense situation.

"I don't see how it's my destiny, getting stuck here with you two!" She yelled adn they threw some of the onion back at her, making her laugh and duck int he grass for cover. "No fair, two against one!" She yelled, trying to throw them back at the other two.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hector, I'm glad you thew those shoes on my head."

"What?"

"Or none of this would have happened. When I was first sent to camp Green Lake, I thought it was because of my families curse. But, we're not even at camp anymore, we're on gods thumb."

"Techniquely, we're on a rock shaped like a thumb." Chris yelled from where she was trying to wipe some of the dirt off of her body, hiding behind another rock.

"Oh shut up over there!" Hector yelled, jokingly.

"I just kind of have this feeling, that everything's cool, you know." Stanley continued, ignoring Chris.

"Yea, I've got the same feeling." Hector said, taking a bite of the onion in his hand. Chris walked over to them, her jump suit tied around her waist, and her white top still as dirty as ever.

"Is it just me, or do those stars look like a shovel?" She asked, looking up to they sky. Hector and Stanley followed her gaze and smiled, nodding in agreement.

"You know what, guys? I fell lucky." Stanley said as he smiled to them, nodding. Hector laughed as he shook his head.

"The onions have gone to your head." He said as he laughed. Chris chuckled as she fell onto the ground near them, pulling an onion from the ground and cleaning it off as best she could with her hands. They sat in silence for a few moments, before Stanley spoke up.

"How about we dig, one more hole?"


	7. Finally Found

**Color Of Night **

**Finally Found**

Their feet pounded against the dirt as they ran between the piles of dirt, around the holes it was dug from. They hid behind dirt mounds, trying to stay hidden from sight of anyway that may have been out there. Running to the next pile, Stanley scanned for the one hole that he was looking for. The one where a rock was shaped like a head, well, the face at least.

"There it is."

"There?"

"Yea." Following Stanley, they ran toward the hole he had motioned to. Chris was carrying two cantene's full of water, Stanley was carrying the shovel, and Hector was carrying the sack full of onion they had brought.

"Are you sure this is the hole?" Hector asked as Stanly slid into the hole, using the shovel they had to dig into the dirt.

"Yea, I'm possitive."

"Man, this is gunna take way to long, we're gunna have to get more shovels." Chris said as she got to her feet, Hector doing so as well.

"Be careful guys." Standly said as he watched them run off toward the camp, going to get some shovels from the shed. Hector and Chris stopped at the sound of yelling and came to see the truck that Stanley had driven into the hole. Chris smirked while Hector grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the shed. Mom and Mr. Sir were arguing about the truck and how he was so stupid to leave the keys in it.

"Come on." They ran up to the shed doors. "Stay here." He started to climb up the shed doors and was able to slip inside above the doors, grabbing two shovels. Tossing them down to her, Chris caught them, letting Hector jump down and handed him one, before they took off running toward the holes again. When they finally reached the hole again they were surprised to see that he had dug almost double the size.

"Wow, you've been busy." Chris said, looking at all the dirt that he had dug up.

"Coming down." Hector said as he crouched, before jumping into the hole.

"We have to dig wider, there's no was we'll all fit in there and be able to dig at the same time." Chris said as she looked around the hole, still standing on the edge of the hole, staying low. The guys got to making it wider, and after a while Chris was able to jump in and start helping. Soon it was about three times a large as it had been before, making it's way closer to four. Hitting the sides everything went silent after Stanley hit the wall and there was a wooden thud.

"Hear that?" He asked, hitting his shovel against it again.

"Dig around there." Chris said as she hit her shovel against the wall, looking for where she could contiue to dig around whatever it was. Hector and Stanley did so as well, all three of then trying to dig out whatever was there. The dirt began to fall away, showing a wooden crate or chest of some sort. Dropping their shovels they used their hands to move away some of the dirt so they could pull out the chest. The three of them cheered happily as they lifted the chest.

"This is it, we found it!" A bright light shone down on them and all three looked up in time to see the Warden standing above them with Mr. Sir and Mom.

"Thank you boys, you've been a big help." She said as she smiled. The three didn't see right away when at least two douzen, if not more, of the yellow spotted lizards jumped up and began to climb up the chest.

"Oh my god!" Chris screamed when she saw them, right before three jumped onto her chest and shoulders, Stanley and Hector both gasped as some of them also jumped onto them.

Hours later and the sun had risen, but they still weren't able to get the lizards away. Chris sat in the middle with the chest in her lap and Hector and Stanley were on wither side of her. Lizards covered all three of them, two were sitting on Chris head, one on Hector's, and a million all over Stanley's body. The chest on Chris's lap seemed to get heavier and heavier as more and more lizards climbed onto it, as well as the added weight of whatever was inside.

"Maybe we should just shoot 'em." The warden said as she looked down into the hole.

"The lizards or the kids?" Mom asked, getting up from sitting on the ground.

"You don't want to shoot any of those lizards, they'll start leaping all over the place." Mr. Sir said as he walked toward the warden.

"I just want to know why they haven't been bitten yet." She wondered outloud, looking down at the hole again. A black car drove past in the distance, another gray car with it. "Oh no, that can't be her already!" The warden groaned as she looked at the passing cars.

"Well it ain't the girl scouts sellin' cookies." Mr. Sir said as he watched the cars disappear into the camp.

"Go and keep the boys in the mess hall, make sure they don't talk to anyone. As long as they stay quiet they won't have to dig anymore holes, but if they talk...." She trailed off in her threat.

"What am I supposed to tell them if they do talk?" Mom asked as he looked at her.

"Use your imagination." She said as she motioned for him to go, when he didn't move, she yelled at him. "Well, GO!" He took off running toward the camp again, falling into a hole along the way, and making a hilarious yelping sound. The three teens couldn't help but laugh at the sound, trying to hold in their laughs, cause their bodies to shake.

"Hey Stanely, is your first name your last name spelt backwards?" Hector asked, looking at the chest in Chris's lap.

"Yeah."

The woman from before was back, this time with the officers. Stanley's Attorny was walking toward the hole where they were, the warden saying some kind of excuse about how the three of them had broken into her cabin and stole the chest. Then why does it have Stanley's name on it? Or, last name. The attorny gasped when she saw them in the hole covered in lizards.

"How long have they been down there, have you even tried to get them out?" She asked as she looked over to the Warden.

"What do you suggest we do, counciler?" She asked.

"Well this wouldn't have happened if you had released him to me YESTERDAY." She countered.

"Excuse me, this wouldn't have happened if her weren't a thief." She fought back, nodding her head toward Stanley.

"What?" Stanley asked, glaring at her. "A thief!?"

"That's right," She said, glared back at him. Stanley moved to get out of the hole and the lizards jumped off of him and started to run, getting the people to back away from around the hole.

"That's a lie!" He yelled.

"Stanley didn't steal anything!" Hector yelled as he and Chris also got up, pulling the crate with them as the lizards scattered, running away from them. The two of them hauled the crate out of the hole, walking up the steps Stanley had dug while they were getting shovels.

"Thank god, thank god you're ok." She said as she faked happiness, trying to take the crate from them.

"Hey, shove off, it's Stanley's!" Chris yelled, pushing her away with her shoulder, still helping Hector hold up the crate.

"I caught you red handed. And I can send you all right back to prison if I decide to press charges." She said as she once again tried to grab the crate and Chris and Hector moved away to stop her from getting it. Hector pulled it away from her violently, yelling in her face.

"It has his name on it!" Her face was priceless as she had to do a doubletake.

"What, no, it can't."

"It does, look, Stan-ley Yel-nat's." Hector said slowly, making it seem he was sounding it out.

"But, he can't read." Mom protested.

"You don't think we were just walking around mindlessly for two days. I've been teaching him to read dumbass." Chris yelled over to him, still standing beside Hector, and glaring at the Warden, who was holding the crate in disbelief.

"No, it can't be, that's not possible." The warden said as the officer took the crate from Chris and Hector, walking with his attorny.

"Come on, Hector, Chris, we're getting out of here." Stanley said as he motioned for them to come toward him. Chris was shocked.

"What, me too?" She asked, her eyes wide as she sood in shock.

"Yea, come on!" Hector said with a bright smiled as he took her wrist and pulled her along with him toward Stanley. Back at the camp the attorny had to keep fighting off the warden, who kept trying to take it and saying that it was hers and it was on her property.

"Stanley, get your things and get ready to go. Your parents are waiting." Stanley stood next to Hector, hesitant.

"I can't leave without them." He said, motioning to the two beside him. Chris once more looked shocked.

"We'll be okay, I've lived this long." Chris said as she smiled, trying to make him feel better.

"I'll be fine too." Hector said, nodding to him.


	8. Later Doesn't Mean Goodbye

**

* * *

**

Color Of Night

**Later Doesn't Mean Goodbye**

"There's nothing I can do for your friends."

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of them." Mom said as he walked over and wrapped an arm around Chris shoulders. She tensed up and her black eyes widened.

"I do NOT like being touched." She growled, elbowing him hard in the gut. Mom grunted as he moved away from him and Chris frowned. Stanley walked over to the two again, standing with them.

"I'm not going to leave without them."

"Get me their files." The attorny said, looking to the officer. The warden gave mom a stern look, and he turned and left, going to retrieve their files. The door behind the three teens opened and Squid stepped out before running back in yelling, "They're alive!"

"What's up guys!" The guys all ran out, running to meet the three missing people. They were all swarmed, rushing them. Chris was thrown over someones shoulders as they jumped aound in excitment. She was squeeled slightly in surprise, not expecting such an open display. Hector and Stanley laughed as she tried to get back on the ground. She was placed down again and her cheeks were flushed slightly and she was laughing.

"Damn, you guys stink!"

"Smell like onions!" They all started laughing and Chris playfully punched Magnet in the arm. He laughed as he tried to move away from her. Mr. Sir and mom walked back out of the office room and walked over to where everyone else was, holding no files.

"It seems there are no files, on either Hector Zeroni or Christy Wood." Mom said as he smiled, yes, he actually smiled. The officeres and the attorny weren't happy.

"What kind of camp you runnin' here?" One of the officers asked, looking at mom and the warden.

"A nice one, if the state would give us some money and we could get some decent filing-"

"I'm ordering of this facility."

"Hey lady!" Armpit yelled over to the attorny, "You got a pen and paper I can borrow?"

"No, I don't but it looks like he does." She said as she motioned over to Mr. Sir. "You got a pen?"

"Yea, here's a pencil." He mumbled, trying to hide behind his clipbored, while giving the pencil over to Armpit.

"You got paper?" The attorny asked, and Mr. Sir moved to give him the clipboard as well, lifting the collar of his jacket to hide behind that instead. Armpit wrote down his number on the paper and gave it over to Stanley.

"Here, call my mom. Call me mom and tell her I said I was sorry, that Theodore, said he was sorry." He said, and the guys all began to tap him on the back.

"I will man." Stanley said as he too patted Armpit's arm encouragingly.

They all heard when the officer called out a woman's name, but did not expect for the officer to walk up to Mr. Sir and push him against the wall, taking the gun from on his belt.

"You're in violationd of your parool carrying this weapon." He said, forcing him to sit down. All of the guys laughed when he called him Marian. Chris was even caught grinning like an idiot at that one. It felt good when you don't have to worry about him shooting you.

"Okay, this facility it now under out juristiction."

"What?" The warden gawked.

"Boys, put these three bowsows right over there so they can watch the other side of the chriminal justic system." Everyone gathering from the camp all started to cheer, clapping and roaring. Chris and Hector high-fived, laughing as they looked over to where the warden was being forced to sit down.

"Come on you two, you're coming with us, let's go." The attorny said, motioning for them all to move toward her. Hector and Chis looked to one another in shock before they cheered, embracing one another in a tight hug. Stanley joined in, almost knocking the two over and making them laugh as they tried to push him away. The guys started to cat call and Chris waved her hand as though to shew them away. The loud crack of thunder made everyone turn to look at the clouded sky.

"What's that?"

Rain began to pour heavily and all of the guys began to run out, pulling off their hats and shirts. Chris laughed as she turned to look away from all the guys that were stipping, laughing when she had ended up turning to face Hector. Squid and Armpit ran up behind her and lifted her onto their shoulders, jumping up and down. Magnet picked Hector up on his back and continued to spin him around. Everyone was cheering and jumping around like idiots, but they didn't care.

"Chris, Hector, Stanley come on!" Stanley's attorny yelled as she quickly moved to get into her car and out of the rain. The three ran from the crowd toward the black car, all still laughing and cheering. X-Ray caught Stanley's arm and pulled him back.

"You be careful out there in the real world, alright?"

"You know it, I'm gunna miss you man." Stanley brought him in a hug, pounding his fist on his back before waving to the rest of the guys. Chris stopped Hector before he could walk further toward the car, grabbing his wrist.

"I'm really glad you brought me along with you." She said over the loud cheering, before leaning forward to kiss him gently on the lips. Cat calls and screams came from behind then from the group of guys. Pulling back she smiled at Hector's surprised look, before he smiled back at her. They all got into the car so that Hector was in the middle and Stanley was sitting on the right side of the car with Chris on Hector's left. Chris pulled herself out and sat on the window, cupping her hands around her mouth and calling out.

"Be good now, you hear!" She yelled over to all the guys and they started to throw their hats at her, making her laugh and slip back into the car, shutting the window so no more water got inside. Even as the car drove away the guys all waved and threw their arms up as they waved them off.

* * *

**Ta-Da! There, the next chapter is the last chapter, please reiview!**


	9. Not Over 'Till We're Out

**Color Of Night **

**Not Over Till We're Out**

"Ok, one more thing, no matter what is in this box, we are still family." Ms. Yelnats said as he pulled away the bands holding down the lid. The three were still all dress in their dirty arange jumpsuits from camp, still covered in alot of dust even from the rain, sitting at the table where the chest was in front of Mr. Yelnats.

"Family till the end." Mrs. Yelnats said and Stanley clapped, wanting to open the box. Chris and Hector smiled to one another as they looked over to the box when his father took the pliers to the lock.

"1....2.....3!" The lock broke easily.

"Oh my god honey you still got it." Mrs. Yelnats said when the lock broke, smiling. Opening the lid it showed all the bright golden and silver jewelry, shining in the light of the kitchen. Chris gawked as Stanley wrapped an around around her and Hector's shoulders, laughing and smiling light a cheshire cat.

"Oh My God." They all began to go through the box when Stanley stopped them.

"Wait, wait guys, I think that all of what's in this box, should also be split with Christy Wood and Hector Zeroni." Stanley said and his grandfather looked down at Hector.

"Did you say, Zeroni?"

"Sure did." Hector said, nodding. Stanley's grandfather laughed as he walked up to Hector and kissed him on the forehead. Christy was just leaning wither her elbows on the talbe, staring at the chest. She couldn't believe what was happening.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Christy sat on the steps outside the bus station with Hector and Stanley inside. Stanley's grandfather stood leaning against the side of the car as he looked down the street. A bud was seen making it's way around the corner and toward them. Christy knew who was on that bus and a smile came to her lips.

"Boys!" Stanley's granfather called out and they stepped out of the building to stand behind where Christy was still sitting, while the bus parked. Christy looked back over her shoulder, up at Hector. Hector decended the stairs and looked back at Christy, who was smiling at him encouragingly. He walked forward and the bus doors opened. A man in a black suit stepped out and held his hand up to help another woman off the bus. Hector's mom stepped off the bus and Christy smiled, glad that Hector could finally have his family again. They quickly ran to embrace one another and Stanley patted Christy on the soulder in comfort. He knew she missed her mother.

_"So, Hector was able to hire his own team of private investigators, turns out his mom had been looking for him too."_

"I love you." Hector said into his mothers shoulder as she held onto him tightly. She smiled into his hair as she held back tears, Hector seemed like he was close to tears as well.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_"Christy's step-father had been charged for murder to her baby sister and her mother and was sent to jail for life, for two murders and an attempted rape."_

A lon silence filled the room as Christy said in a wooden chair, her hair straightened out neatly and wearing a long black skirt with a blue button up shirt and a blazer. The room was quiet as a long drawn out pause made everyone hold their breath. Hector, Mrs. Zeroni, Stanley, Mr. and Mrs. Yelnats and Stanley's grandfather all sat behind her on the benchs.

"Guilty!"

A long breath rushed out of Christy as the lawer beside her patter her back. Tears prickled her eyes, but she held them back as she watched her step-father's hands be cuffed behind his back and taken from the room with two security officers, where he would be held until morning and taken to prison. The gudge dismissed everyone and they all began to stand up. Kristy shook hands with her lawer, then ran over to where Hector and the others were.

"I'm finally free." She mumbled into his shoulder as she was embraced by Hector. Stanley's parents were to go and speak with Kristy's lawer and Mrs. Zeroni stood with the three teens.

"What're you gunna do now?" Stanley asked when Christy pulled back from Hector's shoulder.

"I'm not sure. Mrs. Laurence(her lawer) said that I would have to be put into foster care since I'm not old enough to love on my own. And my parents were both only children so I don't have any aunts or uncles, or grandparents." She said as she looked down at her feet. Hector looked over to his mother as though asking her a silent question, and she nodded, stepping toward the worried teen.

"Christy, you don't have to worry about any of that, I've already had a discussion with your lawer, and if it's what you want, you can move in with me and Hector." She spoke softly to Christy, who's eyes widened in shock as she stared up at the woman who was quickly become a mother figure to her.

"Wha-really?" She stuttered over her own question and Mrs. Zeroni nodded her head, and this time Christy's tears fell. "Of course, thank you. Thank you so much." She said as Mrs. Zeroni brought her into a hug, and Stanley gave Hector a knowing look behind their backs, making the younger look away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hector spotted Chris floating around on a chair inside the pool and an evil smirk came to his lips as he ran toward the water, doing a canon ball right beside her. Chris screamed in surprise before she glared challangingly at him, diving into the water.

_"Camp Green Lake was closed. The boys who were sent there to do time served were sent to real councilers. Camp Green Lake will be re-opened soon, as a girls camp. At least they won't have to worry about lizards anymore, just so long as they eat lots of onions. Christy keeps saying that it's a sexits thing to do, devide the camps from girls and boys. But she's just glad to have her own shower again."_

Mrs. Yelnats came running out of the pool, yelling about show time. The guys, and Chrisy, all pulled themselves from the water and ran after her. The house that they were living in now was huge, and they didn't have to worry about anymore landowners complaining. They all crowded into the living room in front of the television, Hector and Stanley sitting side by side with Chris at Hector's feet, her back against the couch while his legs were on either side of her.

Mr. Yelnats was able to seel his product and now they have a strong income with Sploosh. They had taken the name from when Hector found the peach drinks under the boat and named them spoosh, when Christy had told him that it sounded cool and they should use that name.

"Come on, let's get back in the pool!" Christy yelled as the ran from the room, almost slipping on the floors because her feet were still wet, and ran toward where the pool was. Her and Hector were the fastest diggers, but now they were the fastest runners as well. Christy never really got used to not having to do any chores, but she was getting better. Hector was right behind her when she reahed the edge of the water and tackled her from behind, throwing them both into the water.

_"Chris and Hector had started dating a week after Hector had found his mother. Hector's mom liked her immediatly when she had heard that Chris was teaching her son to read and write. When Hector asked if she could stay with them she had no problems against the idea, so Chris moved into the huge Zeroni manor a week after she was taken in as their foster child. Her and Hector were in no way related, so their relationship was in no way illegal._

_"Christy went to a special school where she could follow her dream of music and art. Mrs. Zeroni loved to hear her sing, and found lots of paintings and pictures drawn of the house and everyone in it. She finally got to explore her skills. Hector went to the nearest school to pick up where he had left off with Christy's teachings, and is now in his graduating year, moving on to high-school soon where he, Christy, and Stanley will all be in the same school. Hector was the best kid in his gym class._

_And that's how the great-great grandson of Elliot Yelnats and the great-geat-great granson of Madame Zeroni and the girlfriend of Madame Zeroni's great-great-great grandson became next door neighbours...."_

Hope you liked the story! This was the last chapter, but if you want, I might make a sequal. It won't have anything to do with camp green lake, but it'll talk more about the lives after it. Follow the following like if you want to see what Christy looks like:

./1042/1364286314_?v=0


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